Process of forming bottle-caps.



H. M. CAKE.

PROCESS OF FORMING BOTTLE GAPS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1910. LJLSLG'YG, Patented Mar.16,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L M} awvwntoz H. M. CAKE.

PROCESS OF FORMING BOTTLE CAPS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1910.

1,1 31,676o Patented Ma1".16,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HORACE M. CAKE, 035 WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFCOLUMIBIA.

rnocnssor FORMING Barrie-cars.

Specification of Letters Batent. I Patented Mar. llfi, 19115..

Application filed October 22, 1910. Serial No:.588,4=99.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE M. CAKE, a citizen of the United Sates, and a resident of-the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in a Process of Forming Bottle-Caps, of which the following is a specification.

The invention which will hereinafter be more fully described in this application, relates broadly to a process in the art of sheet metal working and more specifically to a process of manufacturing a seal or cap adapted for use in sealing bottles and jars.

The principal object of this invention is that of a process of forming a bottle or jar seal of the character commonly known as the crown seal cap, and which. is provided with an integral su plemental opener.

Another object of this invention is that of a process for forming a bottle or jar seal, of

the character known as the crown seal cap,

m which process the blank for each particular seal is so cut from the stock of metal as to leave no waste stock between adjacent blanks of the same group.

Another object of this invention is that of a process for the manufacture of a bottle or jar seal, of the character commonly known as the crown seal cap, in which thegcap is provided with an integral supplemental opener the shape of said opener being determined by the lines upon which adjacent cap blanks are cut.

- A still further object of this invention is that of a process for the manufacture of a 4 bottle seal or cap, of the character commonly known as the crown seal cap, in which the cap is provided with an integral supplemental opener, and which supplemental opener is formed with corrugations therein.

The process will be more fully-described in the specification hereinafter following, and reference willbe made to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure l is a View showing a portion of stock from which blanks have been cut, and this view also illustrates the relationship occupied by the blanks at the time of the cutting operation. Fig. 2 illustrates a single blank in form immediately after the cutting operation. Fig. 3 illustrates one type of machine at the" moment of cutting a blank. Fig. 4 illustrates a blank after being partially formed into shape. Fig. 5 illustrates one form of mechanism for carrying out my process as it is cupping the blank. Figs. 6 and 8 illustrate a completely formed metallic cap. Fig. 7 illustrates one form of mechanism for carrying out my process and shows the partsof said mechanism at the moment of completing a cap.

Fig. 9 is a view showinga complete metallic cap in cross section. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the female die plate of one form of mechanism for carrying out my process. Fig. 11 illustrates a portion of one type of mechanism for carrying out my process.

Prior to the invention of my process, bottle caps have been made by punching circular pieces of metal from sheet metal and'then forming the pieces into shape to make a bottle cap, but in all cases considerable stock is 'left between each of the spaces from which the circular disk has been punched. It is also well known in this art to punch a bottle cap with an integral opener attached thereto, from a sheet of 'metal, but in all cases as in the case of the round ordinary bottle cap, a considerable amount of metal has been left between each of the spaces from which the bottle cap and opener were punched. And in all cases where a projection has been attached to the bottle cap, to be used as an opener, the opener has been made of such a. size and of such a shape that the cap cannot be made in its completed form by perat the same time prepare the opener in con- 4 dition to be used. In all caps, prior to my process, where the opener has been made as attached to the bottle, cap, the said opener has been of such a character as to be used to remove the cap without necessitating the use of any tool or means, other than the fingers of the operator. In carrying out my process a cap is formed, with the supplemental opener attached thereto, from sheet metal in such manner that the contour of the supplemental opener is that of ogee curves, the curvature of which is complementa-l to the curvature of the circle forming the major portion of an adjacent and congruous ,cap, and the ogee curves 'meet on a line which is radial to the circle which forms the major portion of the cap.

Referring particularly to Fig; 1 and more particularly to'the blanks whose centers are respectively corners of the triangle 0, D, and E, it willbe noted that the edges of each of these blanks are formed upon major circles which are arranged tangent to each other.

Referring more particularly to the blank Whose center is determined bythe angle C of the equilateral triangle C, D and E, it will be noted that the edges of this blank for three hundred degrees conform exactly to the major circle of the particular blank C, and that the edges of the tab portion 7 of this blank are determined by sixty degree angles of the major circlesof the blanks E and D. Therefore it will beseen that the edges of each blank are out upon lines in such manner that each blank corresponds to substantially three hundred degrees of its own ma or circle and substantially sixty degrees of the major circle of each adjacent blank. Thus it will be seen that my process forms a bottle cap in which the length and slze of the supplemental opener bears a constant relationship to the circle upon which the ma or portion of the cap is formed, thereby making a supplemental opener proportionalto the cap irrespective of the size of the cap.

In my process cap blanks of the character hereinbefore described are cut in such manner that the cutting line determining the portion of the cap which forms the tab, also determines and shapes a portion. from an adjacent congruous cap. In other words, Iv cut a cap from sheet metal in such manner that there is no loss of stock as between adjacent blanks. As an illustration of the manner of cutting, attention is called to Fig. 1 of the'drawings, in which the heavy lines 1 indicate the edges of stock after a series of blanks have been cut out, while the dotted lines 2 indicate lines upon which the metalhas been severed between adjacent caps.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the stock may be of any desired w1dth 1n the direction between the arrows A and B,

pose ofillustration I have shown the stock as being only of a sufiicient width from which to cut a series of four blanks, which necessarily means a width substantially equivalent to that of two blanks. Again referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the waste stock after my cutting operation has been performed, is that of the side members 4 and thecross strips 5. In performing the cutting operation it is quite posslble to cut each series of blanks in such manner that the cross strips of metal 5 will cease to be cross strips, but will be represented by small ieces substantially of a triangular shape. f-Iowe ver, it has been found that these small pieces are apt to drop into the cutting dies and cause trouble, and therefore it has been found desirable to leave a sufficient amount of stock between each cut to, retain the triangular pieces in waste stock in order that 1 they may be carried out of the dies. As the blanks are out they are gripped at substantially their center portions and definitely held in fixed position. The gripping may occur at a short interval of time before, simultaneously with, or immediately after, the cutting operation. However, it has been found preferable that the gripping shall occurslightly before the blank is entirely severed, in order that when the blank is severed it will be securely maintained in a definite position before the, forming operation is begun. In using oily stock the blanks may be found to move slightly on the grippers, and in this case it has been found desirable to slightly indent the cap as is indinoted the supplemental opener 7 stands above the side walls.8 of the partially formed cap.

The cap walls are indented or crimped in such manner as to form engaging lugs 9 to be utilized for holdin the cap in position on the bottle neck a ter the manner well.

known in the ordinary crown seal cap. However, during the time when the crimps or indentations 9 are being formed in the side walls of the cap, the supplemental opener 7 is also crimped and is corrugated its entire length in order to give the supplemental opener a sufiicient rigidity and strength to make it effective when it is being used to facilitate the removal of the cap from the bottle. In practically all uses of a metallic bottle cap it is necessary that the interior of the cap shall be fitted with a small disk of resilient material which is usually formed of cork. In this specification wherein the words complete metallic cap are used, it is intended to mean merely the .exterior metal covering, and does not mean a cap with the resilient disk amp I have found that my process can b'carried out with equal facility upon a sheet of stock metal on which have been cemented a number of cork disks in such position that they will occupy substantially the center of the blanks when the blanks are cut, as is illustrated by the circular dotted lines 10, in Fig. 1. When stock of this character is used the result of my process is a complete cap ready for application to a bottle neck, as is illustrated in section in Fig. 9.

In Figs. 3, 5 and 7, I have diagrammatically illustrated my process as being carried out by one type of mechanism. However, my processmay be with equal facility carried out by hand, but for commercial reasons it is preferable that it be carried out by machin'ery.

In Figs. 10 and 11', I have illustrated portions of the machine which is capable of carrying out the several steps of my process. Referring particularly to Fig. 10, which is a plan view of the cutting plate and female die for forming the cap, the die 11 is made with cutting edges 12, which are arranged in form and contour that the cutting edges 14 sever the metal between adjacent congruous disks in such manner that there is no waste stock whatever between said adjacent disks. Referring more particularly to Fig. 10, it will be noted that the female die 11 is formed within the cutting edges of the die plate, and the walls 15 of this die are provided at their lower portion with projections 16, which are substantially the form of the crimp desired in the side walls of the bottle cap. A gripping plunger 17 is mounted for reciprocal movement in an opening 18 that is formed in the die 11. The gripping plunger 17 is provided with adj usting nuts 13, which permit adjustment of the height of the upper end of the plunger. A yoke 19 is bolted to the die 11, and carries a coiled spring 20 for each particular plunger 17 which coiled springs maintain the adjusting nuts 13 against the lower face of the die 11 in such position that the upper end of the gripping cylinder 17 is substantially in the plane of the cutting face of the knife edges 12 and 14. Referring to Fig. 11, the left hand die is shown with the gripping plunger 17 removed in order to more clearly illustrate the arrangement of the projecting members 16, which are adapted to crimp the supplemental opener. Positioned definitely and immediately above the female die plate 11, is a series of forming and gripping plungers or mandrels 21, which are positively positioned in a carrying head 22. Movably mounted upon the forming and gripping plungers or mandrels 21', is carried an anvil block 24, which is adapted for sliding movement upon the gripping and forming plungers 21. Heavy coiled springs 25 are adjustably mounted between the carrying head 22 and the anvil block 24. Abutment screws 26 are carried by the anvil block, and are adapted to contact with abutment studs 27 carried by the female die 11, in order to prevent the anvil block 24 from injuring the cutting edges 12 and 14. In illustrating a mechanism for carrying out my process, I have omitted such parts of the machine, including mechanisms for feeding stock, operating the forming mandrel, etc, as are well known in the cutting and punching art.

The operation of the mechanism herein illustrated, as being one type of machine for carrying out my process, is substantially as follows :A strip of stock is fed over the cutting dies, and the driving mechanism (not shown) is actuated to force the carrying head 22 downward. The forming and gripping plungers 21 contact with the upper surface of the metal and bear it into fixed engagement with the gripping plungers 17, at an instant slightly before the anvil 24 is brought'to bear upon the upper surface of the metal. A further downward movement of'the carrying head forces the anvil 24 against the metal with sufficient force to cause the knife edges 12 and 14 to sever the metal into a series of cap blanks of the character hereinbefore described. At this time the anvil is stopped from a further downward movement by means of the stud screws 26 striking the abutment studs 27. the severed blank is tightly gripped between the forming mandrel 21 and the gripping plungers 17 both of which continue their downward movement because of the downward movement of the head 23. The side walls of the cap are drawn over the forming mandrel 21 because of the conical shape given to the female die 11, and the cap is formed in shape substantially that illustrated in Fig. 5. As the forming mandrel However, I

21 continues farther down, the cupped blank I is forced into engagement with the projections 16, which cooperating with indentations 28 in the forming head 29, of the mandrel 21, cause the side walls of the cap to assume the proper crimped relationship. A portion of the forming mandrel 21 is formed with depressions of a suflicient length to cooperate with the prolonged projections 16 formed in the side walls of the female die in order to properly crimp and corrugate the supplemental opener 7. When the form t the machine is now in position to begin anew cycleof operations, to carry out my new process involving the necessary mechanical operations, toproduce my new bottle cap. Having described my invention what I claim is 1. -The method of manufacturing a cap which consists in gripping the stock over portions to be severed as blanks; then cutting a series of adjacent blanks upon contiguous lines; then cupping and crimping the edges of said blanks by compression; and then removing said blanks from the compression devices, the portion of stock forming the blank being gripped prior to the cutting of the blank, during the forming of the blank, and until the blank is released from the forming devices.

2. The method of making a bottle cap which consists inv gripping the stock over portions of the metal which is adapted to form the 'crown of the cap; then cutting a group of adjacent blanks upon contiguous lines; and then compressing the free edges of the blanks to cup and crimp the same.

3. The method of making a bottle cap -which consists in cutting a blank, gripping substantially the central portion of said blank and leaving the edges free, then compressing the-edges around a forming member to cup and grip said edges.

4. The method of making a bottle cap which consists in cutting a blank, gripping HORACE M. CAKE.

Witnesses:

M. B. NICHOLS, M. R. WIILIAMS. 

